With polls showing the president trailing Mitt Romney, Barack Obama is defending his stance on gay marriage and trying to raise campaign money from his key constituencies.

Obama took his case to women on ABC's "The View" and to the gay and lesbian community with a Ricky Martin fundraiser in New York. The president's explanation of his position on same-sex marriage was to be a "hot topic" on the show Tuesday.

Just days after announcing that he believes same-sex couples should be able to marry, the president refused to say whether he will now push for a repeal of DOMA, the "Defense of Marriage Act," the federal law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.

"My Justice Department has said to the courts, 'We don't think the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional,'" Obama told "The View" hosts. "This is something that historically had been determined at the state level."

When co-host Barbara Walters asked Obama if he would "personally fight to repeal that act," Obama replied, "Well, look, Congress is clearly on notice that I think it's a bad idea."

The Justice Department has refused to defend DOMA in court. Last fall Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to get rid of DOMA. Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., said the vote "really stops a pernicious discrimination."

Dale Hurd

CBN News Sr. Reporter

A CBN News veteran, Dale Hurd has reported extensively from Western Europe, as well as China, Russia, and Central and South America. Since 9/11, Dale has reported in depth on various aspects of the global war on terror in the United States and Europe. Follow Dale on Twitter @HurdontheWeb and "like" him at Facebook.com/DaleHurdNews.